PSI - The Software Quality Conundrum

The Software Quality Conundrum

Published as "Customers should demand quality in their software purchases", Front Range Tech Biz, December 17 - 23, 2001).

Pick up any computer-related magazine today and you're sure to find mention of problems that someone is having with software. Documents routinely get saved into Neverland, browsers and email become tools for delinquents to commit all sort of heinous acts, and more often than not, people just like you and me spend an inordinate amount of time rebooting the machine because 'it's just not working right'.

In response to new problems, software companies inadvertently draw more attention to them by providing updates and corrections that can be downloaded from the internet. Microsoft Windows, for example, includes a feature called "Windows Update" that allows your computer to get the latest and greatest fixes from Microsoft, in a "computer, heal thyself" kind of fashion. Though this kind of self-healing software is certainly better than the live-with-it-broken legacy of software from only a few years back, I wonder if perhaps too much attention is being focused on the cure and not enough attention is being given to the disease?

Imagine if a car manufacturer had a slogan like "We fix braking problems better than anyone else". Would you rush out to drop a pile of cash for one of its products? Probably not! Yet, this same thing happens in the software world each day. People line up to be the first on their block to have a hot new operating system or software title with the assumption that if there's a problem, they'll just download a fix and everything will be just fine. Little thought is given to all of the information that could be affected by an errant program, and too often this oversight results in disastrous loss. And what about the people who don't have internet access? Are they somehow less worthy of software that works out-of-the-box?

Of course, everyone deserves the very best product, especially those that don't have ready access to downloadable updates. The trick is to convince the software industry to think in these terms. Logistically, it seems like it should be easy; customers can simply choose the companies that produce quality products and stay away from those that don't. However, it's not quite that simple, as there are years of history to be undone.

Not too long ago, customers were the catalyst for new software. Customers defined their needs and wants, and software companies were more than happy to create the solutions. Quality was assured almost by default; if the end product didn't do what the customer needed, the customer didn't buy it. Software companies, aware that quality and longevity were inextricably linked, were very careful to ensure the highest quality possible.

Then things changed. Almost invisibly, big software companies began dictating product features instead of relying on customers to tell them what was needed. Customer service was out. Immense marketing was in. Products became more bloated and complex, and quality became less important than simply getting the product out the door and dealing with the inevitable fallout. After all, it was reasoned, customers will pay for upgrades to fix the product.

Sound ludicrous? Absolutely. Yet this seems to be where we are today, as evidenced by the recent rush of people spending significant dollars to buy an operating system upgrade lauded as "the most stable version ever". Maybe I'm missing something, but shouldn't stability be considered more of a basic requirement and less of a bullet point in a marketing campaign?

It may take some time, but this problem is correctable. The answer starts with a shift in thinking before the purchase. Rather than simply buying the package with the greatest list of features, buyers should first identify the features needed, and only then buy the product that best fits that need. Additionally, more consideration should be given to the software vendors, with specific emphasis on their quality track record. Does the vendor provide updates to its products? If not, why? If so, are the updates more frequently for correcting problems or adding functionality? Does the vendor offer support for their broken products? Does it readily address questions or require a credit card number before you get to speak to a human?

In the end, we have a choice. We can choose to do nothing, with the full expectation that we'll be spending more and more time downloading fixes, or we can take a moment and reflect on where we've come in the spectrum of software quality. And then we can - and should - demand better.

Kevin King is the President and Chief Technologist with Precision Solutions, Inc., a leading technology solutions provider in Longmont, Colorado. He can be reached by email at Kevin@PrecisOnline.com or by voice at 303/651-7050.